Burnt Edges of the Map
by P.S.A
Summary: Equestia has many stories about the regal sister's rule. How they conquered and banished their enemies for the sake of their kingdom and provide harmony. Discord is just one of the many foes that the sisters have dealt with. But isn't it odd that nothing remains of his reign? Well one pony may have stumbled upon that.
1. Chapter 1

**I will warn that this story isn't like other MLP's. Things can and will be twisted and even dark, why? Well it's Discord for Celestia sakes! There has to be a ground zero for every reign and usually thats where the worse of stuff can be found. **

**I also don't own MLP but I do own this idea.**

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A pale green unicorn stallion shouted as the timber wolves raced after him in the dead of night. His stripped green and white mane and tail was starting to become tangled with burrs and sticks as he darted this way and that in the dark woods. His bright green eyes glowed lightly in the pale moon light which was starting to peak in through the thinning branches of the trees as the woods was starting to give way to the Bad Lands.

The stallion's hoof beats were just as loud as his heart as he galloped as fast as he could, the timber wolves were drawing ever so closer to him. The closest one was snapping it's jaws at his tail making the male try to move even faster.

"Ahhh!" The drying grass and the thinning trees finally gave away to the open air canyons of the bad lands and gave the stallion one of two choices. Stay and attempt to fight off the timber wolves or jump. The canyon cliff was quickly approaching and the wolves were gaining troops with each howl.

The unicorn didn't stop though. With a prayer to Princesses Luna he leaped off the cliff and closed his eyes hoping that his landing would be quick and painless.

Instead of the hard rock smashing him to bits, ice cold water engulfed him making his eyes burn and his chest gasp for air. Breaking the surface, allowed the stallion to catch a glance of his chasers who glared down at him with hungry growls. But the unicorn wasn't out of danger yet. The water was picking up speed and the sound of crashing water was starting to become deafing.

With the river turning into rapids the stallion was left to struggle, "Help!" he shouted as he tried to swim to shore. Sadly with the river current picking up not even the best foot holds were helping him and before he knew it he was swept off his feet and tossed over the falls.

With wide eyes looking up at the bright moon the stallion struggled as he was flipped onto his back to watch the skies for perhaps the last time.

Just how in the world did his normal day at the shop turn out to end like this?

His mind drifted back to that morning, back to when that old map came in to be sold. It had all started with him getting that old dusty thing, if he had never got cooked up in it he would be at home. He would be in bed after eating a plain meal and after a drink of water. He would be feeding his fish instead of falling off this waterfall.

The river under him was growing bigger and the shadows on the ground were looking less and less friendly. Arching his back so he could get one last glance at the horizon his eyes widen at what was presented. A look of disbelief and confusion settled on his face as his head was moments away from the water under him.

With a loud splash the stallion went under once again this time his body appearing down river of the falls. But instead of the area being covered in rocks and dried grass, large purple and blue spotted plants bloomed here and there while slight movement from under their leaves was linked to the think vines which moved in-between them. Thorns the size of a little filly stood out sharply on pink fluffy leafed trees. Meanwhile purple trees floated along with rocks and pieces of earth creating mini floating islands that hovered above the thickening forest. A few of the late night birds flew in formation upside down while a mix-matched creature stalked the stripped bushes that ran along the shore.

The pale green stallion slowly drifted to shore as the odd creature drew closer to him, it's lynx like heads sniffed at the unconscious male before turning to look behind and eventually turning and running off as the shadows moved out from under the trees.

At first there was silence aside from the sound of rushing water and of a few bugs, but the sound of hooves slowly came to play as they made the transfer from solid dirt to soft mud where the stallion was laid out at. Black hooves and gray legs was all that the male was able to make out as he weakly opened his eyes.

"Help," he coughed before passing right out again.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun slowly rose up over the river side and slowly started to dry the moist mud that coated the pale green stallion's coat. Slowly he stirred as the sun started to glare down at him. But feeling something warm next to him he shifted ever so closer to it only to have a gray wing fall over him and pull him closer to the gray coated pony he slept next to.

As the bugs started to become louder and louder with the day times heat the pale green stallion started to shift more frequently and eventually woke up to the sight of a large frog hopping in front of him. But it wasn't the frog's appearance that startled him the most. It was the slow removal of the wing from his back and the settle growl which came from next to him.

Looking next to him, the stallion's eyes widen as he watched as a scraggly gray alicorn with faded blue and green mane and tail slowly rose to his hooves as it stared down the frog. Growling which he thought came from a timber wolf was infact coming from this stallion who he laid next to.

The unnamed alicorn stallion raised and lowered it's wings as it seemed to be getting ready to pounce on the large frog. On his flank, black marks that looked like shadows stood out against the mud and dust that covered his coat. Hunkering down the stallion's bright blue eyes watched the frog as it croaked loudly before it turned its attention to a fly that was passing by. But that was it's mistake as the alicorn with the curved horn jumped and leaped on top of the frog with a grunt before laying down and hiding the now dead amphibian.

"Wait-" The compass flanked stallion muttered at the last moment only to notice that it was too late for the frog who was now being hidden by the other. But this caught the alicorn's attention and made him look back at the other. Those blue eyes looked innocent but the blood that was on his mouth said otherwise.

For the moment the two of them watched each other, alicorn watching unicorn both waiting for the other to say something or at least do something. But while the pale green unicorn opened his mouth to say something, the gray alicorn lowered his ears and reached back for the dead frog and set it down infront of the unicorn.

"Are you hungry?" he asked with his ears lowered and eyes set on the frog.

The unicorn could do nothing more other than stare at the other who seemed to be in his own little world with the dead frog.

"You can have it if you want." he said as he pushed it forward with a hoof before standing up and looking around. "Um not to be in a hurry or anything but can you walk? We should be leaving the clearing now, it's not safe here." he said as he moved closer to the other and tried to nudge him up.

But the pale unicorn, if possible paled even more as he looked at the alicorn before him. Not once did he try to get up from the ground as the other nudged him.

"Get up or I'm gonna carry you." the other muttered as he ignored the dead frog and tried to push the other up. Yet the pale unicorn frowned and kept himself lowered to the ground.

"I'm not leaving with you." he muttered only to yelp loudly as shadows rose up from under him and lifted him up onto the alicorn's back.

"Too bad." the other shouted as he started to gallop off into the woods while keeping the other on his back. "I'm not going to be eaten today." he said as he ran deeper into the odd forest. Vines hung through the trees as thorns and odd looking flowers decorated the bark. Up in the canopy the leaves changed colors though others seemed to be alive all on their own.

Looking past the alicorn's mane and up ahead the pale unicorn's eyes widen as he wrapped his hooves around the other's neck as the gray wings spread and caught the wind as they jumped from a small cliff and glided to the ground before running further and deeper into the woods.

When the unnamed alicorn came to a stop they were in a dark damp cave that was hidden behind a wall of moss as water trickled from the cave's ceiling and down the walls into neat little streams.

"You still alive back there?" he asked as he slowly started to lower himself down so the other male could slip off.

The pale stallion slowly lowered himself off the other and eventually found his hoof on the cave floor. Taking a deep breath the other tired to calm his thoughts as the other watched without a single idea of what was wrong.

"Where am I?" the pale green unicorn asked making the alicorn cock his head to the side with a crocked smile.

"Well you're in a cave if that helps. " he suggested as he smiled lightly before readjusting his wings eve so slightly. The lighting in the cave was dim but the unicorn was able to make out the other's facial movements.

"I know I'm in a cave,… where are my manners?" he mused before bowing down to the other and unknowingly causing the other to look at him confused. "Thank you for rescuing me Prince-" he stopped and looked up at the alicorn who continued to watch him confused.

"Uhh prince?" he asked as he looked at him confused. "You sure that you're okay? Did you hit your head or something?" the alicorn stood up and started to circle the other confused. "Cause I'm no prince." he said as he pressed his head against the other's skull. "Just Seer, plain old Seer."

The unicorn looked at the other for a confused moment "Seer?" he muttered only to have the other leave his personal space and nod his head.

"That's it. Now whats yours?" he asked as he sat down on a bed of moss which let out soft glows as he plopped down on it.

"Charter." Charter looked back at his flank, the compass marks on it was now a bit dusty and worn looking but was still much more understandable than Seer's black marks.

"Charter? Strange name. Are you from the Upper Regions?" He asked as he laid down on the moss causing it to glow ever so brightly with the new movement. "You didn't get casted out did you?" he asked looking over at him.

Charter sat down grudgingly as he didn't like the feeling of his coat becoming wet but figured that this place was the best place to rest as his hooves still felt sore from last nights terrifying run.

"Upper Region? I don't understand but I wasn't casted out. I was chased here by some timber wolves. They were chasing after me when I jumped into the river." Charter was just about to continue when he noticed that Seer was looking off to the distance with his ears pulled back and a frown on his face. "Something wrong?"

"Timber wolves, I hate those things. Always finding my caves when they come down here. And they don't even taste good." he glared at the rock above him before looking over at Charter. "Hm… defiantly the Upper Region, you have that strange mark." he said pointing out Charter's cutie mark.

"It's not strange, it's a compass." he defended making Seer snort and shake his head.

"Nope, it's a bunch of lines and an arrow. Besides the arrow is wrong." he said as he closed his eyes making his horn glow a soft blue color before a black void appeared next to him only to drop a compass out of it before disappearing. Once the void disappeared Seer looked over at it before smirking and kicking it over to Charter for him to look. "See, the arrow is wrong."

Charter frowned and was just about to kick the compass back to Seer only to glance down at it and notice that the red arrow which laid behind the cracked glass was spinning wildly with no signs of stopping.

"Whats," he muttered only to frown and shake his head. "None sense, there must be metal in the rocks making the needle dance." he said as a pale green light took over the compass as he limped out of the cave. "I'll show you that it does and always will point north."

Seer seemed to just smile from his spot, he watched the other leave him only to get up and follow him out of the moss covered cave and into the small clearing that was provided by a large fallen tree.

"Now I set this down and it'll point North as soon as it calms down." he said as his magic set the old compass down and looked over at Seer who walked up to the tree and leaned on it to look at the red arrow.

"It's still spinning." he grinned making Charter look down from his proud stance and notice like Seer said.

"Nonsense!"

"Shh!" Charter didn't get to say anything else as he found himself being held close to Seer as his mouth was covered by the other's hoof. "Not too loud, the other's aren't as friendly."

Charter struggled for a moment as he noticed that Seer was looking around at the trees from his spot as his ears moved ever so slightly. It took a while for him to pull the hoof off his mouth but when he did he heard the shouts of other ponies. Unlike the soft and friendly cries of those he knew back home, these were loud and unnerving as their cries echoed past the trees and into the unknown.

"Others?" he whispered only to get a nod.

"We have to go back to the caves, it's safest there." he said as he released the other and motioned for him to follow. "They won't dare enter the caves."

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**And finally we got some names. Well folks let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

Charter wasn't happy that he was lead back to the caves and stood at the cave mouth while Seer stood in the cool darkness his blue eyes looking back brightly at him, making the unicorn feel unnerved.

He had seen many ponies back in Canterlot with blue eyes, unicorns, pegasi and even earth ponies had the same color eyes time to time but these eyes. These eyes simply stood out to the point that it seemed like they knew more than even he knew.

Swallowing hard Charter slowly walked into the caves mouth and towards the other stallion who only cocked his head to the side and flicked his ears with a smile. Those eyes still unblinking. But that was when Charter noticed it. The alicorn's left ear was bitten, leaving two points instead of just one. While it seemed to be healed the fur seemed to have a bit of black on it. Hopefully the flesh wasn't rotting away.

"So?" Seer's voice echoed in the cave as he cocked his head even more as he watched Charter as if waiting for the other to cave or something.

"So what?" Charter retorted as he frowned and stopped to stare down the other.

"So do you want to be my pet?" the other asked with a lazy grin making Charter frown and start to back up as the other stood up and started to walk over to him with his wings spread. "Come on, I'll take care of you like the others." he said as he motioned to a previously unseen corner of the cave which had a few Equestrian helmets stacked up in a neat pile.

Charter's green eyes looked over at the pile and widen.

"No." he said as he took more steps back until he was almost out of the cave.

"But I'm real good with pets. Besides I found you."

Charter's mind was racing he needed to get away from this mad pony and to somewhere safe. Charter's hoof caught on a rock making him stumble back a few steps only to look up and find Seer almost upon him looking down at him with a pleading smile.

"I'll protect you from the others and everything that wants to eat us." he chirped as Charter readied himself to dart off. As soon as Seer set another hoof down, Charter took off darting back into the strange woods.

"Charter, come back it's not safe!" was all that Charter heard as he ran through the woods. Sure his hooves hurt and he was limping but there was no way that he was going to stay with Seer and become his pet.

It was a struggle to find a proper path, but to Charter's relief he found a path that was worn down and looked like ponies had used it to travel on. Perhaps one of the 'others' that Seer had mentioned before could help him escape this odd world.

…..

With the sun burning down over head, Charter was left laying down and catching his breath under a floating tree that had it's roots as the only anchor to the ground. The humidly had become unbearable and he could feel sweet dripping down his face and onto the ground where the bugs were starting to gather. Their heavy buzzing was almost deafening, but the unicorn had no will to shoo them off at the moment.

Charter let out a heavy pant as he looked up and down the path he was laying just off of and sighed. He had been traveling for the greater part of the day and he couldn't locate the waterfall more or less these 'others' that he could of sworn that he had heard earlier.

Closing his eyes and focusing on his magic, his horn glowed the same pale green as before as he tried to use a pointing spell. But after holding his magic for a minute and feeling nothing coming to him, he released the spell and laid down fully as he could feel a head ache coming up.

He needed to eat, but at the same time he had seen nothing that was edible here. The leaves were pink and red while a few were stripped. But of the ones that smelt good, like pie or cotton candy were the ones who were guarded by large spines and or vines which coiled around the tree protectively.

Staring at down the path he groaned and tucked his limbs under him before setting his head down. With his ear to the ground and himself hidden from all else in the shade and roots he could faintly hear the soft clopping of a pony who was coming his way. With a faint groan, Charter couldn't feel even more relieved when he noticed a young colt coming up the path. Nope never mind make that two young colts who were making their way up towards him. A large smile crossed his face as he stood up suddenly and called out to them though a wave of dizziness took over him as he stumbled and swaggered out onto the path.

"Boys, aren't I glad to see you. May you please take me to your parents. I need some help." he huffed as he kept his eyes closed as he tried to stable himself only to open them up and smile at the two colts.

The colts though on the other hand blinked as they watched the pale green unicorn stumble out in front of them and watched silently as he spoke before looking at each other without a word.

Charter thought he was going to be helped but when he opened his eyes, he felt his body chill and as he couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight before him. Slowly from his hooves up he started to shake as he took a few steps back.

"Stay away from me." he muttered as he didn't dare remove his eyes from the twins.

Both colts looked at each other fully confused before looking down at themselves, more importantly at the single meeting point where their necks branched off the same single body. Their brown coat and mane looked as normal as their blank flank but their single bodyness and dual heads was the only thing that stood frighteningly out.

"You think he's okay?" the right colt said as he looked at his brother.

"Maybe not, we should take him to see nana." the left replied as he too looked at his twin.

The right head smiled and nodded his head. "Right, nana would be able to help him."

"You think nana will make her special stew ?"

"Shh!" the right head snapped before they moved closer to Charter.

"Mister, we can help if you come with us." they both chimed making Charter tuck his tail under him and move back. "Don't worry, we're not mean or anything. Our nana can help you."

The twin colts moved closer to Charter who only darted off making the single pair chase after him.

"Not too fast!"

"Your going to slip,"

"On the bubbles!"

Charter didn't even have time to fully look back when his hoof gave out under him and his whole body went tumbling forward and slid against the pink soap bubbles which smelt faintly of bubble gum. Splashing soapy water up and making bubbles lift up from the ground as his slid for a good few yards, Charter forced himself to stop with his magic only to slide into the mud.

Not once did he hear the giggles and laughter that the colts were given as they slid after him while sitting instead of fumbling around attempting to get on their legs.

Charter was in a daze as he pulled his head up from the mud, though when he managed to look up the young colts were using him to jump off and over the mud with ease before running up to a dull bluish unicorn mare. While she said nothing at first, her horn glowed lightly and before Carter was able to push himself up and move or even think of using magic he suddenly blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

Harsh herbs and spices assaulted Charter's nose as he slowly came to, though it didn't take him long to notice that both his front and hind legs had been tied with a length of vine and that something was stuck to his horn. Giving a groan he winced as he tried to move his legs only to notice that a large black bruise was taking over his right leg and that it was swelling against the vine. The slightest movement by said limb made him wish that he was having teeth pulled instead. At the moment everything was painful and his head seemed to swim about as he tried to get an idea of where he was at.

Roots that came in from the ceiling and the strong scent of earth was perhaps the biggest hint that he was underground. As his eyes roamed the space, he spotted the twin colts sleeping on a pile of furs and leaves while the same dull bluish mare from before was working across the room with a large earthen pot that sat over a simmering fire.

It didn't take long for Charter to put two and two together as he tried to figure out how to get out of his ties and escape. Try as he might though, his magic wasn't cutting through leaving him feeling light headed and drained. Swallowing hard he shifted the best he could to get comfortable only to wince and whine a bit in pain.

That sadly enough got the mare's attention making her look back at him for a moment before she left the pot and walked over to him.

"It's been a while since an Upper Regioner has been here." she said in a cracked voice. Her breath was foul and made Charter want to gag even is she was a good foot or two from him. "I knew old Seer couldn't keep you all in his caves forever." she muttered with a dry chuckle before poking Charter making him wince. "You look like you'll last us till winter if we eat you right."

Charter couldn't help but become greener and start gagging loudly before he manage to spit saliva out. Apparently this was one of the 'others' that Seer had warned about and now it seemed like instead of becoming someone's pet, he was going to be eaten. Such a wonderful change of pace.

The mare turned and thankfully let him be as she went back to the pot and started to add more spices and herbs. Oddly enough her flank was bare, even for a mare of her age.

Feeling helpless Charter remained still on the floor watching how the twins shifted and mewed lightly in their sleep occasionally they bumped heads before settling back down.

This would of never happened if he had never gotten that cursed map.

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~Three days ago~

Charter had been doing just fine with his shop in Canterlot. Business was slow, but then again not many ponies had an interest in maps and of the world outside of their preferred homes. It didn't bother Charter a lot, but it was one reason as to why he had left on this 'silly' journey.

The day was sunny and if not for the young stallion who came into his shop with a old dusty box, nopony would have visited his store. Helping the stallion with the boxes contents he was happy to find some old maps in there and quickly bought them for only a few bits. At first he didn't think much of the maps, they were old but at the same time poorly made and a lot of the markings on them were wrong.

That was until he started to study the maps a bit more. That was when he noticed that the map that was at the bottom of the box was infact different from the others in more than one way. This map had been torn and tattered, part of it was burnt off while the other half bared some reference to modern day maps.

Without a second thought the map owner stayed awake the whole night studying the map and even drawing out a new one that could be given to the regal sisters for their library. But then there was the crucial part of the map. The burnt corner that bared no reference to any other modern map and on the original something had been written out there before. At least that what it seemed to be. Faint cursive was blurred and chard from some old flame that had eaten away at the page without second thought.

Charter could remember that he cursed the pony who tried to destroy the map but with held his last words because if not for this ponies action to stop, he wouldn't have ended up the owner of said map. Staying up the whole night studying and taking down notes, his morning came to an end when some friends walked through the shops door and found him piled behind a number of books which he had once stored in the back room. The whole front of the shop was overrun with books and paper.

"I would stop, don't want to learn something that you don't want to know." one of them had warned, but the pony had simply laughed it off as well as the rest of them.

Charter had also laughed it off and with very little pushing he left his books and maps for a few hours to spend time with his friends. But once the moment had passed and each needed to head off to their daily activities Charter went back to his books and maps and settled himself for another day of research.

Sadly that day to ended in failure as all books and current maps pointed to the same answer. The missing portion was the bad lands. No ifs ands or buts about it. Defeated Charter had almost tossed the map in the drawer and called it a night if not for the drifting idea of simply going to check out the area that was missing for himself.

Granted no pony had ever really ventured out into the bad lands willingly, but if it would get the map out of his head he was more than happy to do so.

Packing a saddle bag, he only packed a few things thinking that it would be a short day trip for him. After all when one had all the maps, then the easiest path was well known. It didn't take long for him to head to the station and buy a ticket after leaving a notice on his door.

It was suppose to be a simple half day trip, maybe even day trip with him heading home around sunset. But such plans failed. Some weather mare somewhere had either fallen asleep on the job or failed at it as there was a heavy storm that tore through the forest that he was suppose to be heading through. A simple large leaf wasn't enough to keep the rain off when the wind kicked in and before long Charter was soaked and taking shelter under a large tree.

But not once did the thought of him giving up occurred to him and he stuck it out vowing to get to the burnt edge of the map and seeing it for himself. He had stayed there for the night and while no pony bothered him it was twilight when the timber wolves caught scent of him for the first time. Thankfully the sun had spooked them back away into hiding. That was only one of his many problems that day. Because soon, his saddle bag went missing and if that wasn't enough there was the issue of him becoming lost. If not for a pointing spell plus a natural sense of direction he would have been crumbled up in a small ball waiting for help.

He pressed on without thinking, and that was his mistake as the sun started to set again. While the untouched lands was a wonderful sight there was danger lurking for him and before long those wolves were back leading him back to where he had jumped.

Not once in his life did he think that he was going to be tried, and powerless against a mare who seemed intent on cooking him for the two headed colt and having his only hope lay in a stallion who wanted him as a pet.

Dear Princesses Help Him.

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**If you made it this far please let me know what you think.**


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